1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a driving sprocket to drive conveyor chain on finger jointing machines, said sprocket including a frictional clutch which allows the power transmission train to continue to rotate when the conveyor chain and driving sprocket become locked to material jamming in the jointing machine.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The driving sprocket and frictional clutching arrangement herein disclosed has particular utility in the field of "finger jointing," that is, an area of activity where relatively small segments of lumber are precisely milled to provide a joint of interfitting tongues and grooves, which, through the use of adhesives, will provide wood products of useful dimensional lengths. Typical finger jointing equipment is disclosed in my U.S. Pat. No. 3,760,935, dated Sept. 25, 1973, which patent is incorporated herein by reference. The finger jointing equipment of the referenced patent teaches a chain conveyor comprising parallel link chains. the links are pinned to each other to provide a pivotal connection between the respective links. A chain driving sprocket is disclosed having spaced gear teeth projecting outwardly from the sprocket and engagable with cooperative grooved formations in the underfaces of the links. The entire sprocket appear to be a unitary casting.